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English Words Starting With F

5,868 entries — pick a word to see its definition, pronunciation, and usage.

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Noun Verb Adjective Adverb Plural noun Combining form Verb (transitive)Verb (intransitive)Verb (ambitransitive)

first baseman
nounMedium (common in sports contexts, especially North America)
/ˌfɜːst ˈbeɪsmən/The defensive baseball player who covers first base.
first blood
nounC1
/ˌfɜːst ˈblʌd/The initial point scored, the first victory in a competition, or the first person killed/injured in a conflict.
first cause
nounC1-C2
/ˌfɜːst ˈkɔːz/The ultimate, original source or initiating principle of everything that exists, especially in philosophical and theological contexts.
first class
adjectiveadverbnounB2
/ˌfɜːst ˈklɑːs/Of the highest quality, rank, or standard.
first classman
nounLow
/ˌfɜːst ˈklɑːsmən/A fourth-year student at a U.S. military academy, such as West Point or Annapolis; a senior.
first commandment
nounC1-C2
/ˌfɜːst kəˈmɑːndmənt/The primary, most fundamental rule or law, especially one of divine origin.
first consonant shift
nounLow (Technical)
/fɜːst ˈkɒnsənənt ʃɪft/A set of systematic sound changes in the Proto-Germanic language (c. 500 BCE - 200 CE), transforming certain Indo-European stop consonants into fricatives or other stops.
first cousin
nounB1
/ˌfɜːst ˈkʌz.n̩/A person's uncle's or aunt's child; a child of one's parent's sibling.
first dark
nounLow
/fɜːst dɑːk/The period of darkness just after sunset; the time when night first falls.
first day
nounB1 (Intermediate)
/fɜːst deɪ/The initial day of a specific period, sequence, or event; the inaugural day of a job, school term, holiday, or experience.
first day school
nounHigh
/ˌfɜːst deɪ əv ˈskuːl/The initial day when an academic term or year begins for students and teachers.
first derivative
nounC2
/ˌfɜːst dɪˈrɪv.ə.tɪv/In calculus, the rate of change of a function at a given point; a measure of instantaneous change or slope.
first division
nounC1
/ˌfɜːst dɪˈvɪʒ(ə)n/The highest level of professional sports leagues in many countries, especially in football (soccer); the premier competitive tier.
first down
nounC1
/ˌfɜːst ˈdaʊn/The first of a series of four attempts (downs) an offensive team has in American/Canadian football to advance the ball 10 yards and retain possession.
first edition
nounB2
/ˌfɜːst ɪˈdɪʃ(ə)n/the original published version of a book, especially when printed in multiple subsequent editions.
first empire
nounC1
/ˌfɜːst ˈempaɪə/The first significant and extensive imperial state in a particular historical context.
first estate
nounC2 / Very Low
/ˌfɜːst ɪˈsteɪt/A historical term referring to the clergy as one of the three main social classes in pre-revolutionary France under the estates of the realm.
first family
nounC1
/ˌfɜːst ˈfæm.əl.i/The family of the current president or leader of a country, considered as a prominent public unit.
first fleet
nounC1-C2
/ˌfɜːst ˈfliːt/The historical group of British ships that established the first European colony in Australia in 1788.
first floor
nounA2
/ˌfɜːst ˈflɔː(r)/The level of a building at street level or immediately above ground.

Showing 2201–2220 of 5868 words.